Managing Death

Writing on death, grief and bereavement is plentiful, but the practical side of dying gets much less notice. This book focuses on death management: how the circumstances of a death are handled, how it is acknowledged through ritual, and how the body is disposed of. These matters are often treated as private, individual responses. The author argues that they can also be understood by looking at the social arrangements, institutions, structures and patterns that people belong to, and by using that wider view alongside psychological and medical approaches.

By studying the social and institutional structures of groups across the world, the book builds an international framework for understanding dying, death and bereavement. It identifies common themes that appear across diverse cultures and nations, and it also points out important differences between them. Professionals who are unaware of these differences risk practice that is insensitive, discriminatory and ineffective, and in some cases counterproductive.

The book is intended for a broad range of professionals and students. These include those working in medicine and health care, social work, counselling and psychotherapy, chaplaincy and pastoral care, and the funeral industry. Students of sociology, psychology and anthropology will also find material on how funerals and other death management practices differ from place to place and fit into social life.